Flaming-machine



LUGIUS P. HOY'I, OF AURORA, ILLINOIS.

ermine-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 391,616, dated October 23, 1888.

Application filed January 31,1888. Serial No. 262,512. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LUOIUS P. Herr, a citizen of the United States, residing at Aurora, in the county of Kane and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful In1- provements in Planing and Surfacing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

In planing and surfacing machines feed-rolls are usually arranged in advance of the rotary cutter-head or cutter-cylinder, and generally a pair of similar feed-rolls will also be found at a point back of such rotary cutter-cylinder. In some instances one of these rolls is driven from the other by expansiongearing,whereby, while the rolls can be simultaneously revolved, one roll may be capable of a bodily rise and fall, and in other instances but one roll is driven, while the other is an idler-roll, capable, however, of bodily rise and fall, whereby in either case the space between the rolls may Vary in correspondence with the thickness of the lumber. In order to thus adapt such rolls to pieces of lumber of different thickness, various means have been employed, either for positively adjusting one of the rolls in height, in order to vary the space between the rolls, or for rendering one of such rolls sclf-adjust ing-as, for example, it is proposed in Patent No. 219,651 to hold down the vertically-sliding roll-boxes by weighted levers which are pivoted upon the main frame and connected by links or like yielding connections with the crank-arms of a rockshaft, said levers being each at one end pivoted to the main frame of the machine and at the opposite end weighted and link-connected with a crank-arm of a rockshaft, the screw connecting-rods which are attached to the sliding boxes being at their lower ends connected with elbow-links, which are in turn attached to the levers at points between the weighted ends andthe pivoted ends of said levers. By such arrangement, should the passing of a piece of lumber of irregular thickness under the feed-roll tend to lift one end of the roll higher than the other the opposite end of the roll may be ultimately raised by reason of the levers and crank-armed rockshaft which constitute connections between the two sliding roll-boxes; but by reason of the yielding connections necessarily provided between the weighted levers and the crank arms, v

which swing in different arcs, one lever can rise before the other lever; hence the roll cannot at all times be kept perfectly horizontal so as to avoid binding of the drivinggear.

The object of my invention is to provide a simplified and reliable construction. of automatic spring-equalizing device, as hereinafter more fully set forth, for maintaining at all times and with the greatest nicety the desired parallelism between the feed rolls; also, to provide certain improved details serving to increase the general utility of the device.

To the attainment of such ends, I provide, in connection with the sliding boxes for one of the rolls, a rock-shaft having rigid therewith a pair of spring-controlled vibratory arms, which are arranged below and directly connected with the roll-boxes by vertically-arranged connecting-rods, whereby when one box is caused to rise by the rise of one end of the roll the opposite box will be lifted synchronously therewith and to the same extent, since the act of lifting one box will cause a direct upward pull on one of the arms of the rockshaft, which latter will of necessity turn about its axis and cause its remaining arm to rise to a like extent and exert, through the medium of its allotted connectingrod, an upward push against the roll-box,to which such connectingrod is attached. The slightest disposition, therefore, on the part of one rollbox to rise will necessitate a like disposition on the part of the other box to rise, and in like manner the lowering of one of the rollhoxe's compels a like lowering of the other. It will also be seen that my arrangement is further characterized by simplicity, since, in place of independently-arranged weighted levers pivoted upon the main frame and link connected with the arms of a rocleshaft, I dispense entirely with such levers and simply provide a rockshaft having a pair of arms which are subject to springs and directly connected with the roll-boxes.

As a means for positively adjusting the roll in height, I employ, as a simple form of connection between each box and its allotted vibratory springarm, a rod which is adj ustably connested with the arm by means of a threaded connection, so that by turning the rod about its axis the box can be raised or lowered at will.

Certain details of construction are hereinafter particularly set forth.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is understood to be a section taken on a vertical plane transversely through portions of the two sides of a planing or surfacing machine and represents in elevation the devices embodying my invention in connection with a pair of feed-rolls. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation taken through Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents in perspective and on a somewhat larger scale one of the vibratory arms or levers. Fig. 4 represents the nut or bearing which, when fitted in said vibratory arm, constitutes a bearing for the lower threaded end of the adjustable connecting-rod. Fig. 5 represents a plate which, when applied to the vibratory lever-arm, serves to hold the nut in place.

In said drawings, A indicates an upper selfadjusting feed-roll, and B the lower feed-roll, which can be mounted in stationary boxes or bearings, it being understood that these two feed-rolls will in practice be arranged at any suitable point in a planing or surfacing ma chine where it is desirable the lumber should pass between and be fed by a couple of feedrolls.

appropriate gearing, while the opposite journal or axlefend of said roll can by any suitable arrangement of expansiongearing be connected with the upper roll, A. If desired, however, the lower roll can be driven from suitable power-transmitting media, and the upper roll can be an idler employed simply as a selfiadjusting presser-roll.

The sliding boxes D for the journals or axle ends of the rollAare guided by suitable guides on standards E, and may be of any desired construction. To each sliding box D is allotted a vibratory spring-controlled arm, F, connected with the box and conveniently arranged below the lower roll, so as to be out of the way. When either sliding box is raised, it will serve to swing its allotted arm F against the resistance of the spring to which such arm is subject, whereby the box, by reason of its connection with the arm,will be raised against a spring-resistance.

The arms F are secured upon a rock-shaft, G, conveniently mounted in bearings in or on the sides H of the main frame of the machine and arranged parallel with the axes of the rolls.

As a simple and effective arrangement of spring-resistances, a spring, I, is allotted to each arm and bolted at one end to a clip or box, K, upon the main frame, whereby the free end of the spring may bear upon the vibratory arm, as in Fig. 2. Various other arrange ments of springs could,howeve'r, be employed,

and hence no limitation is herein placed upon the precise form and arrangement of spring shown.

Each vibratory arm is herein shown connected with its allotted box D by a rod, L, which affords asimple form of connection between the box and rod.

When the roll A is raised by a piece of lumber entering between the rolls, the arms F will be simultaneously swung up against the resistance ofthe springs by reason of the aforesaid connections between the arms and the sliding boxes in which the roll is journaled. Should the lumber in lifting the roll A tend to tilt up one end of the same, the extra upward pressure at such end of the roll will be distributed between the two springs,owing to the rigid connection between the two vibratory arms, and hence the upward pull upon one arm will cause the other arm to exert what may be termed an upward push or thrust upon its allotted rod L. In this way the upward pressure against roll A is equalized, or equally distributed between its ends.

As a means for positively adjusting the roll A in height, the rods are adj ustably connected with the spring-controlled arms connected with an operating device, whereby they can be simultaneously and correspondingly adj usted. To such end each rod L is provided with a lower threaded portion, Z, and each arm F provided with a threaded bearing for the threaded portion of the rod, so that by turning the rod it can be either raised or lowered relatively to the arm, according to the direction in which the rod is raised. The rods have swiveled or rotary connections with the boxes D, in order to permit the rods to be turned independently of the boxes, and yet rise and fall with the same, to which end the boxes are provided with bearings d, wherein the rods can turn, it being understood that any suitable arrangement of collars or shoulders on the rods will prevent an end movement of the rods independent of the boxes.

The lowest position of the roll A can be determined by any suitable arrangement of stops-as, for example, by stops hfixed upon the side pieces, H, of the main frame and arranged to serve as stops for limiting the downward swing of the vibratory arms.

A desirable form of bearing for each rotary adjustable connecting-rod L is attained by providing each arm F with a vertical bore, f, intersected by a recess, f, and fitting within such recess a nut, M, or bearing-block, having a threaded bore, m, wherein the threaded portion of the rod can engage. Under such arrangement the nut or hearing M is received within the recess of the block and confined therein in any suitable way-as, for example, by a plate, f secured to the end of the arm. The rod passes through the two portions of the smooth bore f of the block, and hence passes through and engages in the threaded bore of the bearing M, which will in practice he fitted in the recess f just loosely enough to IIO permit it to have a slight play or rocking movement. The bore f should be slightly larger than the rod, in which way, during the swing of the arm, the aforesaid connection between the arm and the rod will in effect provide a universal jointed connection capable of accommodating itself to the movements of the rod and arm. a

N indicates a rotary rod or shaft,which can be turned by any suitable crank-movement, and which is provided with gears 12, arranged to engage gears Z upon the upper ends of the rods L, so that by turning the shaft N the rods L, and consequently the boxes for the upper roll, can be positively adjusted in height. With such arrangement the boxes D are convenientl y provided with bearings for the shaft N.

The gearing shown to the extreme left in Fig. 1 partially represents a construction of expansioirgearing; but since such forms no part of this invention a description thereof is unnecessary.

What I claim as my invention is 1. The combination, substantially as here- 25 inbefore described, with the adjustable rollboxes and roll, of the rock-shaft G, provided with a pair of arms, F,whioh are rigid thereon, the rods which directly connect said arms with the adjustable roll-boxes, and the springs arranged to act upon said arms and oppose yielding resistances to the rise ofthe adjustable rollboxes, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination, substantially as herein set forth, with an adjustable roll-box, of a vibratory arm, F, provided with a vertical bore, f, intersected by a recess, f, a nut, M, held in said recess, and a rod having a swivel-connection with the box and engaging said nut, sub stantially as and for the purpose specified.

LUOIUS P. HOYI.

Witnesses:

WILLIS HOYT, O. O. HACKNEY. 

